Feb 2014, Mauritania: Villagers welcome the high-level partnership mission to Mauritania. The mission, jointly led by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS) and OCHA, spent five days in the country in early February, exploring opportunities for humanitarian partnerships. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: The partnership mission included a two-day field trip to the regions of Brakna and Gorgol in southern Mauritania. They visited the settlement of Beydia Taboyette which was created in 2012 when several villages were destroyed by floods. Three hundred families live here, with hardly any infrastructure. The nearest well is several kilometers away, and does not provide sufficient water. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: Mokhtar is the mayor of Beydia Taboyette. In Autumn 2013, the new village was itself hit by floods, destroying the entire harvest. The UN and aid groups have provided assistance, but families are still struggling to recover. In 2013, 140,000 people in Mauritania were affected by floods - the worst to hit the country in decades. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: Village elders meet with Ambassador Atta Al-Manan Bakhit of the OIC. They told him that improved access to education and water were some of their most urgent needs. The partnership mission also connect NGOs from the Gulf with national actors in Mauritania. An NGO from Qatar committed to support local partners to drill a new well for the village. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: There are no schools in Beydia Taboyette. Every morning, children have to use a donkey cart to attend classes in the school building of the abandoned village. The new humanitarian response plan for Mauritania aims to better link humanitarian and development interventions, and to make sure they are aligned closely with Government plans. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: Ambassador Faeqa Saeed Al-Saleh of the LAS visits the Centre for Nutritional Rehabilitation and Education (CRENI) in Kaedi, southern Mauritania. Mauritania is severely affected by the food and nutrition crisis in the Sahel region. One in four Mauritanians face food insecurity in 2014. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: Mothers seeking care for their babies at the CRENI in Kaedi. More than 30,000 children are expected to suffer from severe malnutrition in Mauritania in 2014. Malnutrition rates are above the emergency threshold in seven of the country's 13 regions. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: A young girl at the dispensary in Djeol, southern Mauritania. On 3 February, the United Nations and humanitarian partners launched a three-year Regional Strategic Response Plan for the Sahel. For Mauritania, the plan seeks to mobilize US$107 million to assist 530,000 people. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau

Feb 2014, Mauritania: At the end of the mission, participants committed to strengthening their cooperation with Mauritania, both bilaterally and collectively through the framework of the Strategic Response Plan. Building new and innovative partnerships is crucial in addressing the chronic humanitarian challenges in the Sahel. Credit: OCHA/I.Brandau